Phoenix ZooLights: What’s new for 2020 experience
The Phoenix Zoo’s ZooLights display has been a holiday tradition for decades. This year, visitors can choose to experience it the traditional way or a new, socially distanced, way.
The display, which runs Nov. 7-Jan. 31, will offer walk-through and drivethrough options on different nights.
Justin Davis, ZooLights supervisor for the past eight years, said Cruise ZooLights nights offer an option for those who want to have the experience but don’t feel comfortable being around crowds.
“I think this a great way to ring in 2021 with new hopes, new excitement,” Davis says. “On the drive nights, you can all get into the car, get out of the house, get the kiddos out, get them something to be excited for.”
The number of tickets for Cruise ZooLights nights is limited and they must be purchased online in advance. Tickets for walk-through nights also are available online.
To adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines, the zoo is asking guests to wear masks when interacting with zoo staff and volunteers and has installed socialdistancing markers and signs at turnstiles and displays.
Although ZooLights has some differences this year, it continues to offer a place for people to spend time with their loved ones during the holidays. It has long been a popular spot for families and for couples on dates. Couples often get engaged in front of the displays.
As they stroll or drive through the zoo, visitors can enjoy kettle corn, hot chocolate and cookies or play with glow toys. These treats and toys can be ordered in advance with Cruise Zoolights tickets and at concession stands or the gift shop on walk-through nights.
During the walking nights, the carousel and camel rides will be open. Guests will have the chance to interact with Jengo and Tortuga, talking giraffe and tortoise figures.
More lights than ever
The light display will be even more luminous, as the number of lights has increased by 500,000 to a total of 2.5 million.
There will be beloved displays from years past as well as new options, including elf dance party/Santa’s village, aquatics and forest scenes.
Certain scenes, such as Candy Land and a fantasy section with elves and wizards, have been expanded this year. A popular lantern display from last year will return with a fresh look.
During walk-through nights, the Music-in-Motion Light Show by the lake will be accompanied by the Trans Siberian Orchestra’s song “A Mad Russian’s Christmas.”
Those driving through the zoo can listen to music on their radios when they tune into an AM station synchronized with the light displays.
Many of the scenes are themed around animals including bees, koalas, flamingos, giraffes, elephants, grizzly bears, monkeys, alligators, hippos, wolves, lions and zebras. A few of the animal displays, including a centipede, are new this year.
The footprint for the event has expanded to include about two-thirds of the zoo. It has been designed similarly to the daytime cruise events, which the zoo started doing when it was closed to foot traffic due to COVID-19.
Most of the popular displays can be seen on foot or by car, but certain areas, such as the Arizona Trail, will only be open during walk-through nights.
New and refreshed displays for 2020
One of the biggest changes has been to the Outer Tropics Trail, where 120 more trees were decorated with lights.
“It’s going to give the chance for people to come out, see it in a different light and stay distanced,” Davis said. “ZooLights is a big family tradition. For people who have been coming out for years, they are going to get to see it completely differently than what they are used to.”
Davis said his crew made updates to some of the light displays to keep them current.
“There are certain ones that needed a face lift. They had old lights on them or weren’t working quite right,” Davis says. “A lot of the ones that we’ve had out in the past, we’ve redone. We changed the color structure on them and stuff like
that.”
The displays were put up by a crew of four, including Davis. They started in June, one month earlier than usual.
This year, the crew had to take a different approach to the installation because of the drive-through nights. Davis said it was important to envision how the lights would look from a car. The displays are positioned so that they can
easily be seen by passengers.
“That’s basically how we put all of our stuff up, was to try to make it to where you are not missing anything because you came on a drive night instead of a walk night,” Davis said.
Along with setting up and taking down the lights, the crew also spends time coming up with new ideas for lights displays, called armatures, each year.
“We like to challenge ourselves with certain armatures. It is a lot of fun building them. The best thing about being in ZooLights for me is instant gratification, when an armature is built,” Davis says.
“There’s definitely a feeling of pride, especially when it comes to some of the bigger armatures or the bigger scenes. It’s really cool when they are all out, and you get to see them going.”